Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-06-29
Beware of the Ring.

If the State were to abandon the bust
ness of publishing textbooks the money
paid for books would go to Chicago, New
York and elsewhere. Now it is earned in
California and expended and kept in circu-
lation here. While we cry out against
Chinese who acquire money here and send
or take it abroad, we should guard against
white leeches, who care nothing for the
prosperity of the State or the elevation of
its people. The arguments against the
State publishing its textbooks when re-
duced to unvarnished English and di-
vested of its sophistries is simply this:
Some one is bound to steal, and it may as
we'll be the publishers ring as the officers
ring. The State Board or the State Printer
will be corrupt and extrayagant, and you
might as well allow us to rob you as to
allow them to embezzle or waste your
money. We understand the trick and
your officers have yet to learn it; what
need of educating people to compete with
us. One advocate of the ring argues that
the State has no right to compete with
honest traders and deprive them of bust
ness by becoming a publisher, yet odds
might be given that those who think this
a strong position defend States in using
convict labor to compete with honest labor
in the manufacture of any goods that
would thereby be cheapened for them.
The children belong to the State to the
extent that il is vitally interested in their
education, in order that they become the
better citizens, and it becomes its duty to
remove everything that impedes that ed
ucation. The tax for textbooks; the
constant changes and the fact that the
slightest change in text has been made the
pretext for rejecting whole editions of
books that, good enough for one wears
class are decided to be unfit for the next.
| has been Il source of great expense and
vexation. Under the present system the
| temptation to make these frequent and
trihing alterations the pretext for requir-
ing new OUTLAWS has been removed; and
an impeachment to education has been re-
moved with it. The argument that the
State can make no money out of the publ
| cation ought to be the strongest argument
in favor of continuing the publication, be-
cause it is the making of money that has
caused all the corruption.
The average citizen does not know WHY
changes have been ordered, nor is he pre-
pared to combat the reasons alleged. He
ulliy hliOWs lldt IL Is severe ana VeXa-
tious tax upon him. The teacher, the
superintendent, the school officers are all
prepared to overwhelm him with mass of
talk which he does not understand or I'M
derstands but dimly; he sees his disad-
vantage while protesting, but perhaps
fears to expose his ignorance and silently
and sullenly submits, all the while feeling
that knavery learned in technicalities is
defrauding him and putting him to shame.
Under the present system there is no
temptation for teachers or officers to clamor
for change; the honest are raised above
the suspicion which the dishonest have
caused to rest upon all, the respect in which
the school authorities should always he
held and which they should deserve, is not
reduced by suspicion, and the educational
institutions, if not rendered absolutely
pure, are at least nearer to purity now
than is possible under the ring system. To
abandon the present system now would be
disgraceful surrender, and the people
should unite in opposing any attempt at
it.-Stockton Independent.